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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498981">Tough Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/samos7/pseuds/samos7'>samos7</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pre-Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie), Uncle Happy Hogan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:20:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498981</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/samos7/pseuds/samos7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter calls Happy in distress after May doesn't come back to the apartment one night. Happy doesn't know how to deal with emotions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Happy Hogan &amp; Peter Parker, Happy Hogan/May Parker (Spider-Man), Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Peter Parker's Tales</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tough Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Happy outwardly groans when he checks the caller ID and sees Peter Parker's name in bold letters. </p><p>There was a time where Peter would call multiple times a day, offering life updates that Happy never paid mind too. The only reason he hadn't blocked Peter's number in the beginning was because of Tony and his promise to fire him if he did so. Both of them knew that the threats were empty, but it did not stop Happy from begrudgingly following orders. </p><p>As Peter got a little older he began to call Happy less, which made it significantly more difficult to keep tabs on the kid. Maybe Peter was growing more mature, but the most obvious explanation had to do with the Toomes fiasco. Daily updates had turned into weekly updates, and eventually none at all.</p><p>Much to his surprise (and mortification), Happy began to miss the repetition of voicemails, though this was a secret he would never say out loud for his dignity. He was ashamed to admit that the kid he had initially deemed as a pest turned into someone he actually cared about. While Peter could be overbearingly annoying, he also had heart that made it impossible not to adore him.</p><p>Of course, he hadn't realized any of this until after Peter was Blipped. </p><p>While Happy had never outright asked, he assumes that Tony had taken over in answering the abundance of calls Peter sent everyday, especially when considering how close the two of them had become over the years. If Happy didn't know any better, he would have assumed that Peter was Tony's long lost son from the way they acted around each other. When he had told Tony this one day, the man had laughed in his face, claiming that he would never be a father. </p><p>Then Morgan was born, and it was Happy who was laughing. </p><p>The sound of his phone ringing brings him back to the present, and he quickly accepts the call after the third ring. </p><p>"What do you want." </p><p>"Hey Happy, I have a quick question?"</p><p>Peter sounds incredibly nervous, but Happy supposes that could be deemed as normal when taking to account how Peter acts on the daily basis. The request in itself appears innocent enough, but he has to ask anyway. </p><p>"Are you dying?" </p><p>"What? No-"</p><p>"Then why are you calling me?"</p><p>Happy almost regrets asking the question, and he can practically see Peter flinching back. He shrugs off his moment of sympathy and holds onto his curt attitude. After all, he has a reputation to maintain. </p><p>"Well, get on with it."</p><p>"I was just wondering if May has recently called you... I know you two have your uh- thing."</p><p>Happy stops in his tracks, finally giving his full attention to Peter. Now that he was listening closer, he could hear the slightest of wavers in Peter's voice as he spoke. What he assumed to be nervousness was in reality fear.</p><p>Happy immediately goes into work mode. </p><p>"When was the last time you've heard from her?"</p><p>"She had a night shift at the hospital, and she usually makes sure to text me if she doesn't think she'll be home in the morning. I tried calling her a few times but it goes straight to voicemail." </p><p>Oddly enough, the information somehow comforts Happy. "Her phone could have lost battery, I wouldn't worry too much about it kid." While he's reassuring Peter, he changes his path and heads straight for the Audi.  </p><p>"Yeah, yeah- maybe." Peter didn't sound very convinced, and Happy let out a sigh.</p><p>"Look, I'll head over to Queens and make sure May is alright- you just stay at the apartment and do whatever it is kids your age do on weekends," Happy pauses to consider this for a moment, "actually, I take it back, just sit there and stare at a wall or something."</p><p>"Wait Happy, you don't need to do that." </p><p>Happy turns on his blinker and honks the horn when a car doesn't move out of the way. "If you didn't want me to check then you shouldn't have called me."</p><p>"I called the hospital and they said she wasn't there." </p><p>Happy groans again, and tries to ignore the unease that piles in his gut. </p><p>"If you already knew this then why didn't you tell me earlier?" </p><p>"I didn't want to bother you!" Peter's voice was rising in temper, though instead of feeling aggravated Happy only feels guilt.</p><p>When Peter was Blipped five years ago, Happy had been in charge of making sure May was okay after losing her nephew, and the two of them had slowly but surely become close friends and potentially something more. While May had mourned, Happy was by her side for support. Happy had even grieved himself, in his own, silent way. </p><p>He grieved even more after Tony had died. </p><p>Though before he saved the world, Happy remembers his regrets with being so closed off from the kid. It was something he had promised to fix if he ever had the chance to see Peter again. </p><p>He suddenly comes to the realization that Peter probably wouldn't have even been calling Happy if it weren't for Tony being gone. With that thought, he presses harder on the gas petal, desperate to prove himself. </p><p>"I'll be at the apartment in a half hour, <em>don't run off</em>."</p><p>Happy hangs up the phone before he can hear Peter's protests. </p><p> </p><p>~ ~ ~</p><p> </p><p>When Happy bangs on the door it immediately swings open, and he is met with the sight of Spiderman staring back at him.</p><p>"Why are you in your suit kid?" </p><p>Peter rips off his mask before answering, and Happy takes note of the way his fist clenches around the expensive material. "I was patrolling around Queens, but I couldn't find May anywhere."</p><p>"I thought I told you to stay put."</p><p>Instead of responding, Peter simply gives him a look of utmost disbelief. </p><p>"Alright,<em> fine</em>, where did you check."</p><p>"I went to all of her favorite restaurants and that one bar she likes to go to sometimes with her work friends- then I went to the grocery store, the laundry mat, the cemetery-"</p><p>"The <em>cemetery</em>?"</p><p>Peter blinks twice, as if not understanding what was weird about that. "Yeah, I thought maybe she went to see Ben."</p><p>Suddenly, Happy feels like an asshole, "oh."</p><p>Peter begins to pace around the room, breaths coming out short and sharp. "Do you think someone took her? New York City isn't the safest place, and sometimes she forgets to bring pepper spray with her. Maybe this has something to do with me being Spiderman." Peter pauses and looks up at Happy with eyes so wide and vulnerable that he begins to feel an ache in his chest. Still, he tries to answer as normal as possible in the hopes that it will calm Peter down.</p><p>"Don't act conceded, not everything is about you." </p><p>Happy's flippancy about the situation causes Peter to somehow grow even more stressed. He quickly drops the attitude, this time attempting a more gentle approach that he assumes Tony would use if he were here right now. </p><p>"Look, you're working yourself up to a panic attack, how about we sit down and take a breather, yeah?" </p><p>'I- I can't, there's no time." </p><p>"You won't be any help in this state of mind, let's just calm down and-"</p><p>"<em>I can't calm down</em>." Both Peter and Happy are surprised by the outburst, and it physically hurts Happy's heart when he sees Peter begin to cry.</p><p>"I- I can't calm down" Peter repeats, this time his voice wet and choked up. </p><p>Happy is at a complete lost at what to do. He hesitantly walks up to Peter and pats his shoulder in an awkward motion.</p><p>"It's okay..."</p><p>Peter lets out a wrecked sob, and Happy mentally curses himself. </p><p>"It's not<em> okay</em>, it's just not. I can't lose her too- I can't, I can't lose her." Peter cuts his sentence off and aggressively wipes the tears away from his eyes, as if he were embarrassed to be crying in front of Happy. He takes a step back and attempts to control his breathing, and Happy counts five seconds before Peter lets out another wail. </p><p>"She's all I have left." </p><p>"That's not true, you have me." The words sound unnatural coming from Happy, and Peter seems to agree when he scoffs out loud. Happy tries to not let that offend him.</p><p>"But you don't even like me." </p><p>Happy doesn't know how to properly respond to that. In all honesty, he didn't think anyone could not like Peter, rather than that one Flash kid that bullies him at school. Happy distantly wonders if he was Blipped or not, and makes a mental note to ask Peter about him later. </p><p>He hears another muffled cry, and he forces himself to pay attention to the kid. </p><p>"Of course I like you," he tries.</p><p>Peter's jaw physically drops, and this time Happy does take offense. </p><p>"<em>You do</em>?"</p><p>"My god Pete, how low of a person do you think I am?" </p><p>Peter hesitates before answering."I guess I just always assumed Tony forced you to deal with me- I don't know."</p><p>Happy sighs and pinches at the bridge of his nose, "look kid, I know I may not be the most uh- affectionate. But that doesn't mean I hate you. Think of it as... tough love."</p><p>"Tough love?" Peter repeats with a skeptic tone. </p><p>"Yeah, that." </p><p>Peter stops and ponders this for a moment while Happy begins to rock back and forth on his feet, for once in his life feeling uncomfortable. When Peter looks up and makes eye contact, they are filled with unshed tears. </p><p>"Are you saying all of this because you like me or you like my<em> aunt</em>?" </p><p>"I like both of you." </p><p>Peter's face scrunches together at Happy's admission, and he watches the boy curl in to himself. </p><p>"If something happened to May and she doesn't walk through that door, you don't have to stay just because you feel obligated too... I'm not your responsibility."</p><p>"Well if we wanna be technical about it, watching over you is part of my job description."  </p><p>Peter's breath hitches at that, and Happy bites down on his tongue. He wishes Tony was here more than anything, he would know how to handle this. </p><p>"I'm sorry, that clearly wasn't the right thing to say- I'm not very good with words and all that." </p><p>For some reason Peter lets out a small chuckle. So Happy continues, this time more considerate with his word choice. </p><p>"Just know if for some reason you're right, and God forbid May doesn't open that door, you'll still have me by your side. I'm not leaving any time soon."</p><p>"Are you sure?" </p><p>Happy swears he doesn't mean to, but he lets out a gruff at that. "If I didn't like you do you really think I would be standing here right now." </p><p>Peter nods three times before throwing his arms around Happy. He immediately tenses up at the action since he's not use to people touching him this way, but he eventually lets his shoulders loosen as he wraps his own arms around Peter. It's not the most natural hug, but Happy forces himself to keep the unwanted contact as he hears Peter whisper the smallest of thank you's into his shoulder. </p><p>Maybe this isn't so bad after all. </p><p>(He would never admit it out loud).</p><p> </p><p>~ ~ ~</p><p> </p><p>It takes a lot of convincing to get Peter to stay in the apartment, but when he finally has him laying on the couch, he gets to work on trying to find where May is at. Her phone is supposedly dead, so there would be no way of tracking it. </p><p>He considers searching through security footage when the door knob jiggles open and May steps in the apartment still in her scrubs. She pauses and has a double take when she sees Happy in the kitchen. </p><p>Peter immediately shoots up from the couch and stares at her in shock.</p><p>There is an unnatural beat of silence, and May is the first to bring herself together. She offers a genuine smile at Happy's direction. "Happy, what a surprise! What are you doing here?" </p><p>He quickly meets eye contact with Peter, and he watches as he adamantly shakes his head. Happy isn't sure why Peter doesn't want to tell the truth, but he follows his lead as Peter turns back to May.</p><p>"I needed help with something Spiderman related."</p><p>May's eyebrows scrunch together in a way that looks so much like Peter, and she quickly checks the watch on her wrist. "At one in the afternoon?"</p><p>"Yeah, but we figured it out." </p><p>May gives her nephew a once-over before walking forward, then she places her hand against his cheek. Happy watches from afar as Peter leans into the touch.</p><p>"Baby, you look stressed, are you sure everything is alright?"</p><p>Peter doesn't answer. Instead he hugs May so tightly that Happy fears he'll break her in half with the super strength he possesses. But May hugs back with just as much fervor, and Happy can't help but feel in awe with the dynamic the two of them share. </p><p>"Is this because I wasn't able to call you? I'm sorry, my phone died and then there was this emergency at the hospital. I didn't have time to reclock or anything." </p><p>Happy doesn't know how May is able to put everything together as quickly as she did, but he supposes he shouldn't be too surprised. This was May Parker they were talking about.</p><p>Peter looks the least bit shocked as he finally lets go and takes a deep breath. May uses the opportunity to plant a quick peck on his cheek. </p><p>"I love you" is all Peter says, and May's eyes somehow soften even more.</p><p>"I love you too, and I'm sorry for not updating you... I should have realized-" Peter cuts her off before she can finish the sentence. </p><p>"Stop, you don't have to be sorry."</p><p>'But I am." </p><p>"Don't worry about it, seriously." </p><p>May gives him a sad smile, "I'm always going to worry about you sweetheart." </p><p>Peter continues to brush off any apologies that are thrown his way, and he offers May one last hug before claiming that he has to leave, and that he and Ned were going to work on a new Lego set. It was obviously a lie, but both adults let Peter climb out the window and wave his goodbyes. </p><p>Once the window is closed shut, May finally drops her sympathetic smile and sinks into the couch. Happy trudges forward and positions himself so they are sitting right next to each other. </p><p>"Alright, lay it on me, how bad was it?"</p><p>Happy debates sugar coating the whole ordeal, but he decides May will probably be able to tell if he were lying. </p><p>"I'm pretty certain he was one step away from filing an emancipation." </p><p>May sighs and drops her head into the palm of her hands. "He's been struggling so much after everything that happened with Tony, I just don't know how to help him."</p><p>Happy moves his own hand and rubs it against May's back, hoping that it offers silent comfort.</p><p>"You're doing everything you can, and it's only been three weeks. I've never seen a kid more strong than Pete, just give it time and he should be back on his feet sooner than we both want." </p><p>May considers this, but then shakes her head as if she were annoyed. "I just hate that he has to go through this all again- before he was Blipped he was only beginning to move on from Ben... I just wish it was different, you know?" </p><p>Happy himself wishes he could offer a real solution, a real answer. Instead, he moves his hand to May's shoulder and gives it a small squeeze.</p><p>"I know." </p><p>At that, May finally looks up, and Happy swears his heart skips a beat from the look she gives him.</p><p>"Thank you for being there for Peter today, I can't even begin to express how much that means to me." </p><p>Happy grows the courage to place his hand on top of May's, and he feels delicate fingers brush against his own. He decides then and there that it's his favorite feeling in the world. </p><p>"You know I'm here for both of you." </p><p>May leans forward to kiss his cheek, and Happy can't help but smile.</p><p>Years ago, he made a promise to watch over the Parkers, and he knows he will do everything in his power to keep it. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading! Happy is one of my favorite characters and I really wanted to write a story in his POV.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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